The purpose of the Bushfire Education webpages is to provide teaching and learning resources to support bushfire education for primary and secondary schools (Year 1 to Year 8). Based on four themes, the aim of the Bushfire Education webpages is to better prepare all young Australians for the challenges of living in a country that regularly experiences bushfires.
The 'Recovering from bushfires' theme includes the experiences of those who have been directly affected by bushfires, and how individuals and communities recover after a bushfire event.
The theme is explored through individual sessions that:
- link each particular session to the relevant curriculum area
- set out specific learning intentions
- list suggested resources to support its teaching and learning
- sequence the learning activities as 'starting', 'exploring', 'bringing it all together', and 'extending'.
All bushfire education teaching and learning activities have been aligned to the relevant areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.
Curriculum areas
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- English
- Personal and Social Capability
- Visual Arts
Recovering from bushfires
This section explores the theme of how people and places recover after a bushfire, and is designed to support the learning needs of students in Years 1 to 3. It is aligned to Victorian Curriculum Levels 1 and 2.
Students are introduced to how people may feel and act when recovering from a bushfire, how communities come together to support each other, and how students' artworks helped people with healing after the 2009 bushfires.
People's feelings after experiencing a bushfire
Learning intention: This lesson introduces students to the concept that people need time and support to recover after experiencing a bushfire. Students explore and predict some feelings and actions taken by people in this situation by looking at a series of images from real bushfires.
Communities working together for recovery
Learning intention: Students will explore what a community is and how people in communities care for each other. They will then use this understanding to view examples showing the recovery required after a community has been affected by bushfire.
How art helped children with their feelings after a bushfire
Learning intention: This lesson allows students to look at artwork created by children to convey their feelings after experiencing a bushfire. Students are encouraged to look carefully and consider the art and how it helped people heal after the bushfires.
Other Levels 1 and 2 themes
Curriculum areas
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- English
- Personal and Social Capability
- Visual Arts
Recovering from bushfires
'Recovering from bushfires' explores the theme of how people and places recover after experiencing the effects of a bushfire. Designed to support the learning needs of students in Years 4 to 6, it is aligned to Victorian Curriculum Levels 5 and 6.
Students will explore some of the coping strategies used by people to come to terms with their experiences, how communities come together to support each other, and the short and long term needs of a recovering community. The final session brings together what students have learnt about bushfires, including what will increase their safety and reduce their risk in a bushfire, and how people respond to and recover from fires. Students bring together the ideas developed throughout this inquiry and use them to promote bushfire safety messages.
Coming to terms with feelings after a bushfire
Learning intention: Students will be prompted to consider the importance of thinking and talking about the feelings experienced by people who have experienced bushfires. They will explore some of the strategies people have used to cope and come to terms with their feelings after a traumatic bushfire event.
Communities working together for recovery
Learning intention: Students will explore what a community is and how it cares for each of its members. Students will explore how a community recovers after it has been affected by bushfire. Students will also consider community services and supports that need to be rebuilt to allow people to recover in the aftermath of serious bushfire.
Commemorating the Black Saturday bushfires in 2019
Learning intention: Students look at the commemoration of Black Saturday in 2019 – 10 years after the fires – and the roles that commemoration plays in the community, both for those directly affected and the broader community.
Living with bushfires
Learning intention: Students consider what they know about bushfires, actions that will increase their safety and reduce their risk in a bushfire, and how people respond to and recover from fires. They will bring together the ideas developed throughout this inquiry and use them to promote bushfire safety messages.
Other Levels 5 and 6 themes
Recovering from bushfires
'Recovering from bushfires' explores the theme of how people and places recover after experiencing the effects of a bushfire, and is designed to support the learning needs of students in Years 7 to 8 but can be adjusted to teach Years 9 and 10. It is aligned to Victorian Curriculum Levels 7 and 8.
Students explore what a community is, how communities come together to support each other after a bushfire, and the needs of a recovering community. Students will hear the stories of people who have experienced bushfires and learn how sharing such experiences with others can assist in recovery.
The Blacksmiths Tree – remembering Black Saturday
Learning intention: Students will explore the importance of memorials to a community. They will then use this understanding when viewing examples of memorials produced after a community has been affected by bushfire.
People recovering from bushfires
Learning intention: Students learn that individuals recover from bushfires in different ways and at different rates, and people can be supported in many different ways.
Sharing stories – 10 years on
Learning intention: Students will hear the stories of people who have experienced bushfires and returned to their place in the bush. These people share their experiences of bushfires, resilience and recovery.
Other Levels 7 and 8 themes
View bushfire education resources to support teaching and learning activities on this site.
Please note: There is potential for discomfort or distress among some students when talking, viewing and reading about bushfires. Teachers should preview, adapt and manage the teaching and learning activities and resources with respect to the particular needs and backgrounds of their students.
Information about where schools can access a range of student support services can be found on the Department of Education and Training's
Student Support Services webpages.